


Pardon

by neverminetohold



Series: Dragon Age: Inquisition - Raen Lavellan & Blackwall [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Slash, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 23:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3506096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverminetohold/pseuds/neverminetohold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Was this punishment? Forgiveness? Cruel mercy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pardon

Raen felt his bones grind together, strong fingers clenched tightly around his wrist. He was denied leaving, back colliding with heavy armor, hot breath and the bristle of a beard on his neck, then twisted around, emotion dark eyes staring into his own.  
  
"Why? Why did you step in, Inquisitor?" Blackwall's grip loosened, gentled, a reminder of the night they had spent together. "You should have let me hang. You know what I have done."  
  
Raen stepped closer, chin raised defiantly. "And I have also seen what you have done. You went to Val Royeaux to stop Mornay's execution, but you didn't do it by invoking the Right of Conscription - "  
  
"That would have been even worse! To abuse the ideals I have now upheld for three - "  
  
"I think it is what Thom Rainier would have done, killing two birds with one stone, appeasing his conscience and saving his own skin besides. But not you, Blackwall. You are no longer the man you once were. You have changed."  
  
Blackwall seemed pained to even consider what Raen had said, but his sword-calloused fingers began absentmindedly massaging skin that would soon look bruised. "Have I?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you even realize how terrifying it is? To have someone know all I have done, the blood on my hands, how I ran from it all, took a good man's place without ever being able to fill it as the Warden deserved -- and to tell me he still believes in me?"  
  
Raen freed himself, but only to place a dry-lipped kiss on Blackwall's cheek. "Then consider that your penance: having to live up to the man I know you to be."  
  
They stood in a dark corner, shielded from curious glances, and it was just as well, because no one saw the tears that tasted bitter and salty on the Inquisitor's tongue.


End file.
